Week two of my racing stable placement for the Explorer Cadetship program has been a very exciting and tiring week. I was lucky to get placed at McEvoy Mitchell Racing in Melbourne, Victoria. I was over the moon about this placement because I really wanted to work for this stable.
On Monday I worked the trials at Cranbourne where I was assigned a horse called Belzella to look after for the morning, she was angel of a horse and so beautiful. I had only seen her once before Monday morning because being in the second week of my placement, I hadn’t quite met all the horses yet. While at the trials I got to meet Tony McEvoy again and have a bit of a chat to him about how I liked the stables and how everything was going. I told him how much I was loving my job and how grateful I was for being given a chance to ride his horses as well. To top it off, Belzella trialled really well.
This week I was also able to ride slow work on two different horses. This is such a big achievement for me because track work has been my dream job ever since I started working with the race horses years ago. To be given the opportunity to learn to ride and the encouragement from the other riders and staff has been such a blessing for me. I rode on Thursday with two of the girls and as I went around the track I had the biggest smile on my face just because I was so happy to be out riding, which they thought was so funny. I have been able to ride a gorgeous filly called Despacito, who I have actually seen race before.
She has become one of my favourites in the stables already because she just has the kindest nature to her and loves a big cuddle. She is also so lovely to ride as well. I also got to ride a stunning grey gelding who was a bit more of a challenge, but I felt I handle him well and felt confident in how I had rode on the track.
Overall, I am so loving my work placement. Everyone at work has been so helpful and friendly to help me fit in and work out the routine and each horse’s name. The stables are a joy to work in and all of the horses remind me every day why I love the racing.
